Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Frost Nixon: The Original Watergate Interview
April 16th 2009 04:15
David O'Connell is a guest writer on 20/20 Filmsight, and has his own excellent movie review site at Screen Fanatic.
So much of history’s significance belongs to its context, but when, in May 1977, David Frost was granted unprecedented access to one of the most prominent and controversial figures of any era, former President Richard Nixon, their conversations were destined to transcend time and place. Over 12 days, the pair engaged in lengthy interviews which later inspired Peter Morgan’s acclaimed play, and its filmic equivalent, directed by Ron Howard. Two of those sessions focused solely on Nixon’s recollections of the Watergate scandal, allowing the astute Frost, considered green and hardly a formidable foe for Nixon, to probe with acuity at the truth concealed by a façade skillfully held in place, blurring the American public's perception.
Turning into an intense battle of wills, this unscripted, unrehearsed to and fro became a fascinating and complex debate of Nixon’s involvement. Beginning with strong intentions, willing to substantiate his motivations with sincere reflections, it’s clear that he’s unsettled by the overwhelming depth of Frost’s research, enabling the interviewer to navigate through crevices exposed by any irregularities or inconsistencies in Nixon’s recollection.
Like wearing down the surface of a brick wall, Frost maintains the pressure and though many of the issues may be beyond the comprehension of someone - like me - not intimately familiar with every minute aspect of the scandal, it nevertheless evolves into a compelling face-off. Frost’s relaxed demeanor must have been off-putting enough, his arm casually thrown over the back of his chair, watching coolly as Nixon insists that corruption can’t exist without a motive to mobilize it, and that “political containment is not a corrupt motive”.
There’s a bulldog tenacity to Frost’s technique; in isolated moments, he clearly rattles Nixon, who counters by trying to turn Frost’s probing into misguided assertions; most fail to convince as much of his recall seems filtered through the prism of detailed notations recorded by others present during the key historical moments.
Though they first met in 1968, the meticulous research carried out by Frost’s extensive team must have seemed like an inexplicable incongruity in hindsight compared with preconceptions of the man as an up-and-coming, but somewhat lightweight, intellectually inferior, journalist – and one exploitable for the purposes of surrendering Nixon’s legacy to a more favourable, sympathetic standing in the years to follow.
Nixon is often keen to emphasise the ambiguities inherent in the “records” and public interpretation of events, but he does, in a series of stark and brutal admissions, lay much of the blame at his own feet, unable to shy away from Frost’s relentless pursuit of an apology on behalf of the American people. Nixon may be keen to reduce their verbal jousting to legal stereotypes, casting Frost as “attorney for the prosecution” whilst remaining the battered defendant, but the closing minutes – the last time he ever confronted these matters in a public forum – are strangely moving.
Nixon recalls the final moments of his reign as President, in somber conference with his confidantes, even worthy opponents from the opposite side of politics, all of whom meant something special to him, having endured the best and worst of times together. Near tears he recalls hoping aloud that he hadn’t let them down, whilst knowing that he had – both them, and by extension, the American public.
Finally, the larger-than-life, demonized figure of Nixon is reduced to one of fragile, human proportions, imploring special consideration for his “mistakes of the heart rather than the head”. Though his eyes betray the weight of burden on his conscience, his voice does not, strident and firm in every word, in declaration or admission.
This landmark interview is a fascinating snapshot of both social and historical significance. It’s like prising open a time capsule, watching duelists entwined in a dense, absorbing struggle; one attacking, the other retreating, it’s Frost versus Nixon as the world looked on, enthralled.
*this image is from The Rosemont Loving
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and well done on the review.
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Yeah, agreed Matt, All the President's Men is a classic. I love Pakula's films of that era, especially Klute.
This DVD is well worth a look. Funnily enough I still haven't seen the actual film version of Frost/Nixon yet but am now looking forward to it more than I was before!
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